daily preciousness

call me Ishmael

2009-06-26T11:09:00.003-04:00

"You are an idiot," I typed. "Oscar Wilde was put on trial -- that's obviously what the song 'DJ Culture' is all about!"

It was spring of 1993. I was debating Ish, a guy I just met online, on a computer bulletin board, an early electronic discussion group.

We were parsing out the lyrics of the Pet Shop Boys, the pop group from the 1980s who sang about "West End Girls" back in the day. When Ish and I scrutinized their music lyrics, it was the early days of bits and bytes. The internet was just a bunch of boxy beige boxes with glowing green screens and text-only communication. This was the place where I met my first virtual friend, Ish, the great debater, who wrote, "I don't know about no 'Oscar Wilde,' but I do know it's a great song because it sticks in my head and stays in my heart."

Ish and I didn't always agree on the intricacies of the music canon, but we did have one thing in common: a deep, abiding appreciation for Pet Shop lyrics and music. Their music spoke to us. Plus, we were simply thrilled to have a virtual community of friends to discuss our favorite artists.

The latest buzz on the bulletin board was that the duo would be appearing where Ish lived, in Mexico City, for a huge concert! On the spur of the moment, I'd bought a ticket. Not just to the concert, but to Mexico! I decided to go see it, and maybe even upgrade my first virtual friend into a real friend.

Believe me, I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing. In the early 90s, people rarely drove across town to meet a virtual companion, let alone to another country. I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing. As for me, I'd never traveled very far from home by myself. Certainly not to another country. Keep in mind: there was absolutely no safety net. There were no cell phones back then and long distance calls were expensive. On top of that, my Spanish really sucked. But I wanted to go, despite the fact that I didn't really know much about Ish.

Here is what I did know: he was a university student and we had great chemistry online, but we hadn't even swapped pics. I guess it was weird, but, I wasn't nervous... at least not until I was on the plane.

At 35,000 feet, I began to feel anxious. When a stewardess with a thick accent asked, "Do hugh wan peenas?" I bolted upright in my seat. A thought struck me, like a bat to a piñata: "What the hell am I doing, jetting off to another country? What if we don't get along? What if our debates turn into arguments?! What if he's a psycho killer?!?"

"No, no -- It's ISH -- everything will be OK," I thought. Sitting there, consoling myself, munching on a little bag of roasted penas. Still, I had a knot in my stomach, even hours later, in the airport terminal of Mexico City.

There I stood, surveying the crowd. In this mass of humanity, thick with foreign smells, I tried to pick out Ish. Was he the weird soccer jersey guy, knee-dribbling a half-inflated ball? Hope not. Was he the creepy mustache guy in cut-offs? Dios Mio, I hope not! Was he the good-looking college type, holding a sign with my name? It was Ish!

"Call me Ishmael," he said, quoting the first line of his favorite book. "So, how is it, your trip from New Orleans, Mississippi?" His geography wasn't so great, but our conversation flowed quickly.

Before I knew it, I'd hopped into his dirty orange Datsun hatchback and we were careening through suburbia, outside of Mexico City. "Jeffrey, now I show you 'Mexico Mágico' -- I show you my favorite things." His voice cracked a bit when he said the word "favorite." It was endearing, as if his favorite things got him choked up. At the same moment that it was endearing, it was terrifying, because he turned and faced me in the passenger seat, taking his hazel eyes off the road for a good 5 seconds. And, over the next few days, he showed me his Mexico Mágico.

He showed me the flying men, los voladores, four guys hanging upside down, spinning from a pole high above our heads. We raced into the countryside for a rave party, hidden deep within a cave near the pyramids of Teotehuacan. We partied for eight hours. Then, we stepped out into the sunlight, where we witnessed a glorious sunrise over the pyramids. Napping in the front seats of the car, his head fell on my shoulder. I drifted off to sleep, inhaling his spicy, salty scent.

Zooming into town, we skidded into a parking space at el Auditorio Nacional. We walked in, just in time for the actual concert. There we stood, side by side, cigarette lighters swaying to the slow songs. We threw our hands up, hopped and gyrated to "It's a Sin." I nudged Ish playfully, pointing to the dancers acting out Oscar Wilde's trial ("See? I was right," I teased him, feeling validated.)

A few days later, while hotfooting it to the airport, Ish was quiet, glum. "Introspective?" I asked. He told me that he'd had a great time during my visit and he was going to miss me. "Don't worry," I reassured him. "Why don't you visit me and I'll show you around New Orleans?"

"Yes -- this summer, we make Mississippi Mágico!" Yes, I would like that, I told my new, real, friend, not bothering to correct his geography. After the trip, we swapped e-mails for months, thrilled that our friendship was budding.

Then it all stopped. No e-mail, no online forum postings. Nothing! Ish had vanished.

"What does this mean?" I wondered. What happened to my new friend?

Then a single e-mail, with the subject line "sad news." I sat there, staring at the glowing green screen, reading an e-mail that changed everything.

I remember it in flashes, A car accident. Instantaneous. Just thought you should know," his sister wrote. It was the worst e-mail ever.

I pictured that beat-up orange Datson, always in motion, suddenly still. I recalled Mexico, his "Mexico Mágico" that he showed me, the pyramids and the concert.

At that moment, I felt like I was hanging upside down and spinning. I'd lost a wonderful person, somebody who could've grown into a great friend.

But after more than a decade, I can look back, reflect and be truly thankful for knowing Ish. I guess that's why, even today, I sometimes just smile quietly to myself when people question online relationships, but I know that they can be kind of like great Pet Shop Boys songs that sticks in your head and stays in your heart.

kawaii nation

2009-03-13T20:44:00.002-04:00

Talk about a great gig for Japan. CUTE is their new weapon of choice. They have designated these kawaii (Japanese for "cute") grrls as the ambassadors of cuteness for their entire country.

Trendy harajuku girls have always cornered the market on stylish and hyper-crazy. That's their thing. Whether they're wearing a cowgirl outfit made of human skin or popularizing the harelip, they're busy with trying something new and coo-coo. So why not recruit them to be ambassadors of a country???

It only makes sense to be aggressive (like a cheerleader on crack) and upstage China in the coming Asian culture wars. They've got to put their best size 3 foot forward and make things happen. Otherwise, China is going to elbow them out for all the attention.

So you go, grrls.

via Reuters

can you exterminate stairs?

2008-10-25T10:42:00.001-04:00

robottwitter06
Originally uploaded by docpop

You've got to love this cartoon.

I had a baby with Elvis

2008-09-04T18:04:00.007-04:00

Have you ever played the pass-the-time game, which celebrity would you like to hook up with most? Well, I have done it once or twice. There have been a few genetically gifted folks that I wouldn't mind mingling the ol' DNA with. First on my list has always been a tried-and-true classic. You really can't go wrong with wishing for THE KING. Sadly, our Jailhouse Rock romance must've hit rock bottom. Why? Well, I'm not really happy with my Presley lovechild. Luckily, I'm much better than Bristol Palin; I can make this little problem simply go away. She's going to have to deal with it for much longer. Bless her little Alaskan heart.

So, after seeing that Elvis and I wouldn't have the MOST BEAUTIFUL BABY EVER, I decided to give it a go with Nick Lachey. (Such pretty lips!) Sadly, it went even worse....

So, of course, this time, I decided to go "old-fashioned" and mix it up with a girl. Which one to choose? The Material One, of course. Madge was a natural pick. And I've always loved the color of her hair, no matter the year. Our baby looked very Downs Syndromey, though. I suppose that's what happens when Mom is over 45....

After enduring the concept of having knowledge of a woman, I had to get back on the wagon, so I leaped onto Ryan Reynolds. Why? Because he's one of those cute, funny actors that I fall for, despite the occasional sucky movie....

Not bad. I'm really happy that our baby got Ryan's eyes, which I always thought were very twinkly.

As a finale, I've saved my absolute favorite. I decided to scare the living daylights out of my grandparents and create another life with somebody of a different racial group. (Yes, yes, I know that the races are nothing more than a ridiculous social construct, but it's more fun to say it in a dramatic fashion.) So I chose, arguably, one of the most powerful African American that I consider interesting. I chose her mainly because I like her bookclub and her commitment to pleasure reading.

Say hello to little baby Okra....

Fun stuff. Who would you like to mate with? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

recent aquisition

2008-08-19T18:48:00.006-04:00

Great pic, huh? It's not mine. It's a customer homage pic. Great set up -- like a little worship area. Something about this tenugui (the pink one on the left) just spoke to me. I've always been a fan of cherry blossoms. Plus, I love my 'bots. So I had to get it at thinkgeek. wonderful stuff there.

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Now playing on iTunes: Snow Patrol - Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars (Dj Mario Remix)

hmmm. not a big fan!

2008-08-19T18:40:00.005-04:00

Overheard at Japanese grocery store:

Daughter: Daddy, do you like herpes?
Dad: Um... Herpes?
Daughter: Yeah, Herpes.
Dad: Herpes?
Daughter: Yes, do you like him?
Dad: Him?
Daughter: Yes, Herpes. The swimmer. In the Olympics.
Dad: Herpes in the Olympics?
Daughter: For America.
Dad: Oh. You mean Phelps?!
Daughter: Herpes.
Dad: Yeah, Herpes is a great swimmer.

In Japanese, "Phelps" is pronounced "Ferupusu" (フェルプス). And "herpes" is "Herupesu"(ヘルペス).

You've got to love it when the most famous athlete in the world's name is almost a homonym for an STD.

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Now playing on iTunes: Snow Patrol - Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars (Dj Mario Remix)

Toyotas: what the Final Five drive?

2008-06-19T22:18:00.004-04:00

Busted
Originally uploaded by dspain

My first thought was: is that a frackin' Cylon car?

But nope; it's just the Google Maps car getting a ticket. Maybe the poor driver inadvertently snapped a pic of the officer picking his nose or something. Or maybe the cop's blog has a sucky page ranking.... Who knows?

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Now playing on iTunes: Télépopmusik - Brighton Beach (Feat.Angela MC Clusey)

F & I

2008-01-28T15:37:00.000-05:00

Once, not that long ago, there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand. Ferdinand loved, of all things, the beach. He only knew it because Florinda, the farmer's daughter spoke so lovingly of the beach on her cell phone when she fed them hay every afternoon. Pretending to focus only on his salt lick, he would listen intently to her rave about the South Pacific's beautiful islands and their perfect beaches. And he adored these stories. He longed to stroll along these beaches. Not just any beach, though. The one he longed to see the most was the famed midnight blue sands of the South Pacific island of Calovella. Oddly enough, Ferdinand's lover was Isabella. Both of them had grand plans to sail to the island, claim it as their own and make it a cattle-only island (no humans allowed). They managed to escape their small rural village of Basque country. An unguarded pleasure yacht (and Ferdinand's ability to unfasten nautical knots with his hooves) was the key to their escape. Isabella had a way with machines and managed to sail them to Calovella in only 9 hours. (Ferdinand had figured it would take them 12 and had even carried some hay and a little wine for their journey.) When they arrived, the first thing Isabella wanted to do was tan on the beach. So they did. They lolled around languidly, until Ferdinand asked Isabella for a milkshake. After she produced some, he smiled and put his hoof in hers. They smiled at their accomplishment -- no cattle had ever devised such a cunning escape. And they had even pulled it off! The sunset before them was astounding -- red and gold fire on the calm but mercurial South Pacific waters. F & I were happy.

Note: This story is based on an Exquisite Corpse from Busboys and Poets.

'shrooms

2007-12-10T17:54:00.001-05:00

What a pleasant surprise to see Wakayama mentioned online! I love the fact that their yummy mushrooms are getting some love from the blogworld. Roll it out and eat it up -- those glow-in-the-dark 'shrooms look so delicious.

I recall talking about mushrooms with my students and they told me, "Oh, yeah, my family owns a mushroom mountain. That's where we go mushroom picking." Their parents jobs were mushroom agriculture. Amazing.

So can you eat these super mushrooms? I have no idea. But it takes me back to a happy time, in a tiny village, with wonderful people and delicious mushrooms.

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Now playing on iTunes: Andy Williams - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (A Shrift Remix)

This is Umerica

2007-12-04T12:34:00.001-05:00

Worlds Most Lazy Lawn Mower
Originally uploaded by B-S

I thought I was lazy until I saw this. Yeah, she can walk. She just can't be bothered. After all, this is Umerica. Bless her heart!

ass man

2007-12-03T15:37:00.003-05:00

Ass Man at the Horse Races
Originally uploaded by gastonfernandez

OMG. I really would have loved to have seen this when I was in Japan. This is one of those lovely Engrish shirts that just stops you in your tracks and makes you appreciate life.

You've got to admire it when guys let you know their proclivities in such an upfront way. Takes a real man to do that!

prefuse

2007-12-01T14:44:00.000-05:00

Melange-ilicious. Prefuse 73 has some amazing skillz. Loving the mashup sensibility with the lyrical sensitivity. Also, great running music.

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Now playing on iTunes: Prefuse 73 - Prepared As It Was

parking garage chic

2007-12-01T14:23:00.001-05:00

Library Parking Garage
Originally uploaded by jonathan_moreau

I hereby nominate this as the coolest parking garage. EVER. I want to park up inside some Dickins. Why not? I think that's a perfect place to be. Go, Kansas City, for making good use of ugly parking garages. You rock.

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Now playing on iTunes: DJ Bitman - El Diablo (feat. Jimmy Fernandez)

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Now playing on iTunes: DJ Bitman - El Diablo (feat. Jimmy Fernandez)

army 10 miler

2007-10-27T11:13:00.001-04:00

Running DC IMG_0576
Originally uploaded by Ian Dowling

I put myself though another 10-miler. This one was great -- no stress and very little strain. My pace was a strong: 9:27 per mile. I whipped through the course in 1:34. That was just four minutes over my goal, so I was psyched. Cheers to Ian, whom I've never met, but who ran the same race and just married my friend, Tiff. Loved this picture, dude.

Here are a few more pics of the race. Thanks, uber-handy Apple Grab app, for saving me mad $$$ on the pricy downloads! P.S. Don't rat me out to the copyright overlords, please.

Slideshow of this and my other pics.

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Now playing on iTunes: Midival Punditz featuring Vishal Vaid - Khayaal

running wounded

2007-10-08T11:23:00.000-04:00

Ran the Army 10-miler yesterday and I had a strange experience. It was a very emotional day for me. I think it might have been the endorphins playing crazy with my melon, but I'm not sure. It was 8 AM when the four apache helicopters flew just a hundred feet above us. We were lined up on the highway, hopping, stretching and rolling our heads around.

They zoomed over, raising the hairs on the back of my neck and giving me chills to be near so much power. The chaplain on the PA announced the start of the race for the "wounded warriors." These were the guys who ran with their prosthetic limbs and wounded hearts. They struggled with each step because their bodies had been torn apart by this war. I passed a few by mile marker one. And my heart just broke for them. Tearing up a bit, I wiped salty tears from my eyes and wondered what it must be like to run on these plastic and silicon replacements parts. One of them had a T-shirt that read, "The Bionic Man." He got a lot of cheers. Good for him -- take a sad song and make it better, like the Beatles instructed.

He bounced along on oddly shaped, springy half moons of composite material. He reminded me of a satyr or some such creature because of the odd shape of the synthetic feet. This year's race had a record number of them. I cheered them on because I can't begin to put myself in their place. Could you imagine what it must be like to experience something like that?

This morning, I ran across a gif image of an IED roadside bomb and I could visualize what some of these guys might have experienced during the last few seconds of wholeness. How horrific. An unbelievable mushroom of earth and fire. Force created to destroy. To tear apart limb from limb. Drawn and quartered by detonation.

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Now playing on iTunes: Delphinium Blue - Dupont Circle 4am

exhausted, but healing.

2007-09-10T20:11:00.000-04:00

Ragged and red, I'm recovering from Piga's annual rafting trip and mobile alcohol binge. It's Anywhere Goes. It was a small but friendly group this year and I wish I would've been perkier after the long busride, because I forgot to get business cards so that I could connect with folks. But I might run into them somewhere and reconnect.

Phil and I shared a raft and I was a bit surprised that we got flipped. I guess even veteran river rats can get tossed, now and then. It's been at least a year since I gulped up river water. Hope I don't get the beaver fever. Ick.

I got to know a few movie night friends better and I even met two new Louisiana escapees. Scott, a graphic design professor at Gallaudet, lost his family home to Katrina. But he still managed to win "best smile," despite all of that. He *did* have a nice smile, too.

Jonathan, a former teacher from Boston, shared with me his stories of teaching math in an inner city Edison charter school. Amazing. And he had nice Japanese tattoos, too.

I also met a cool veterinarian from Pennsylvania, Marc. He has the auspicious sound-alike that brings to mind Obi Wan Kenobi.

Just got an amazing massage from Julia. She has magic hands. Wish I could afford to have her over more than twice a month! She brought green bean casserole with fried onion topping. Yum. That alone is worth a happy dance. Combine it with the afterglow of the massage, the pink cheeks of my only sunburn of the season and I'm positively glowing right now.

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Now playing on iTunes: JUDY AND MARY - Sobakasu

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Now playing on iTunes: T.M.Revolution - Invoke

this can't end well.

2007-08-02T09:57:00.000-04:00

Yep, we've all had moments like this. Ouch. Normally, this happens to me verbally. I open up my piehole and blabber on and on about something, only to realize that I've just completely said the wrong thing. Stand-up comics at least have the dignity of a spotlight and a microphone. And quite often, they have a classy brick wall background. But when I'm standing there and somebody's face is contorting into complete rage over something I said, I have just left my airborne bike and I'm heading for the pavement!

shoes.

2007-08-01T22:43:00.000-04:00

Mmm, Girl! Tia knows how to get what she wants.

And she had to get her hands on some of them fabulous shoes. Problem was... she didn't have the money for it. Well, Tia just did what any good consumer would do. She EARNED her money so she could get some shoes. How? Various methods. You go, Tia. You remind me of the traits that are so characteristic of our culture: dogged determination, shrewdness, craftiness and greed!

Please make sure your flash player is up to date. Click here to update.

OMG. Let's get some shoes.

feeling kinda cagey

2007-07-30T06:58:00.000-04:00

My election day working vacation in Florida put me up close and personal with the DARK SIDE a few years ago. I was there when some pretty suspicious things went down. What I didn't know is that plans were apparently in motion for months and months before election day rolled around. In fact, the DARK SIDE engaged in a very suspicious practice called "voter caging" to keep some folks off of the voter rolls.

Have you ever thrown away junk mail? Well, after you watch this, you will never want to throw it away again. That junk mail might be part of a practice called "voter caging" that sounds pretty sketchy. But that's how you roll if you've got the Justice Department full of your personal henchmen.

loving: Blue Stone

2007-07-25T11:39:00.000-04:00

They've got no promo. No marketing. No nothing. So you probably won't have heard of the music. But it's thoughtful and great background music, a clever blending of technics and organics.

a charmed life

2007-07-25T10:45:00.000-04:00

I've lived a charmed life for the last decade. I have attended an incredible school and met some fascinating characters. I have flown alongside a seeker as he raced after the golden snitch. Once-invisible thestrals -- truly magical creatures -- took me on a journey of understanding from innocence to experience. A giant friend introduced me to his (gianter) half-brother. A funny pair of twins introduced me to delicious treats and hilarious hijinx like puking pastilles. Hermoine taught me that house elves have rights, too. (Who knew?) Mostly, I think, I will leave this journey with a better appreciation for the values of loyalty, friendship, trust and patience. Yes, I've seen the darker side, too. There have been moments of complete disillusionment at my care-givers, along with some terrible losses of friends and family.

It is truly amazing to me how authors create entire worlds out of thin air. J.K. Rowling took a panoply myth and magic already present in real (muggle) world folklore and, with a delicate touch, wove it into an intricate parallel world. In this world, she told a complex story of growing up. A story of learning about friendship and enemies. A story of black, white and ever-present gray.

We have grown from the awe-filled, wide-eyed world of a first-year student to the darker, world-weary cynical world of political intrigue and war. It has been quite a journey! Thank you, Jo, for letting us into your rich and wonderful world.

This summer's biggest highlight for me was the release of the 7th Harry Potter book. I have to admit that, this summer, nothing else really compared to this book. The rest of the season I've pretty much just phoned it in. Yes, I worked hard at composing music for the fringe festival and I had an OK time in Cape Cod (yawn), but nothing has compared to the visions of big HP7.

chocolate jesus: first show!

2007-07-20T09:22:00.000-04:00

Everybody loves a delicious sweet surprise, don't they? Think about those little easter treats and only then can you fully realize the power of poor quality milk chocolate. Ah, the smooth and creaminess of it all! Yes, chocolate is a powerful drug. Combine that with the power of Jesus and you will begin to understand what we experienced last night!

About 35 folks got to enjoy chocolaty goodness last night at the premiere of Speakeasy DC's Fringe Festival show, Chocolate Jesus. It was the first of at least two sold-out performances, according to Fringe executive director, Damian Sinclair. Our talented cast and director put on a wonderful show and I was so happy to be a part of it! It was a fierce brew of personal stories, all reflecting on the theme of religion. The stories were all real -- this is a nonfiction performance -- and are, by turns, heart-warming, hilarious, nearly unbelievable and truly poignant. Stephanie talks about her time as a fertility goddess (really). Travis recounts his trials as a recovering southern baptist (ouch). Eva laments her fate as a child of Argentinian hippies, while Amy gives us the low-down on her crazy Jewish summer camp. All of the performances were pitch-perfect and very earnest. This is the opposite of acting -- this is real storytelling at its best.

I composed some music for the show that I'm more than happy to share. (My particular favorite is "postshow," a megamix. Where else can you find "If I were a rich man," Madonna's "Like a prayer," Beethoven's 9th Symphony "Ode to Joy," Jeffrey's "Jazz piano improv on Madonna's like a prayer," and the "We shall overcome" latin house mix?)

Download away, kids -- just remember that the bulk of my music is elsewhere.

Back to the show... I hafta say that last night's crowd was great: receptive, warm and truly eager to hear the stories. I hope that we have the same amazing reception next time!

Special thanks and shout-outs to cast, director, volunteers and everyone who made it happen!

Mer's summer o' fun (TM)

2007-07-06T17:12:00.001-04:00

04JUL0016
Originally uploaded by YoyoGrrrl

Our view from the top was kind of like this. We were near the top of RFK stadium. Mer, a pal from speakeasy, invited me to a Nats game last night. It was a blast. The Nats went up again the Chicago Cubs. The Nats so lost. But the people-watching was good and the company was great. We discussed all of the important issues of the day. Like boys. And food. And summer. And boys, too.

After we waved (and gang-signed) goodbye, I had a little adventure. Somehow, I managed to take the train on the wrong side of the platform. Then, when I realized my mistake, I got off at the Benning Street station. Yes, that's right, one of the sketchiest areas of town. So I exit the station, embark on a scary "find the ATM that hasn't been robbed and vandalized" hunt. I went to two gas stations without a working ATM. Strobing police lights put me in a daze. Stumbling toward gas station number three, I could detect the subtle scent of stink weed. Finally, I got my cash, flagged down a taxi and got home before I turned into a statistic.

Fun stuff!

new logo

2007-07-03T10:35:00.001-04:00

Bob always had a rough time getting things into position on his powerpoint slides. He needed my help. Me? I was the handsome young personal assistant that Bob hired after his promotion to VP of Marketing.

Bob had the corner office, the new title and a penchant for adultery. I was helping him get ready for a big meeting, prepping him with his powerpoint presentation, when he made the first move. It was the ol' "hand over the hand holding the mouse" trick. We changed positions of a few things and left the presentation behind, so to speak.

Imagine my surprise when he showed me the new design for the corporate ID -- he wanted to commemorate our "meeting" with the new logo. So that's how A-Style Architecture got its new logo.

chocolaty goodness

2007-06-21T14:25:00.000-04:00

Is He hollow inside, or does He have a creamy center? You'll have to check out DC Fringe Festival's upcoming show, Chocolate Jesus, to find out. And I'll be part of it -- Jesus told me so. It will be the first time my music is part of a staged performance. Should be quite a challenge to compose music for five different stories, all with a religious theme. Hope my music can set the right tone.